Turnbull's Top 10 Albums of 2011

Tens of thousands of albums have been released this past year, so P&B are taking on the arduous task of breaking down our very own Top 10 Albums of 2011 List. This is the first of a 2-part series (Turnbull's first, with Paqman's to follow). We'll break down the albums, EPs, and mixtapes, etc, that made for quintessential listening throughout the year. If you don't see something on here that you feel should've made the lists, feel free to leave a comment or send us an email about it!

10) Theophilus London - Lovers Holiday

Amongst a couple of mixtapes, and a major label debut that I found somewhat disappointing, this 5-track EP captured the true essence of this debonnair Brooklyn MC/singer-songwriter, who sights Prince, Mike J, and The Smiths as his key influences.  London is a fashion savvy street rebel who struck gold with this short yet solid set of tracks.

P&B Approved Cuts: Strangelove, Wine & Chocolates

9) Bon Iver (s/t)

Truth be known, I didn't know what to make of this album when I first heard it, but it certainly has grown on me over time.  This record serves less as an album, and more as a collection of lush 'soundscapes' that conjure up the same feelings of isolation shown on Bon Iver's critically acclaimed debut album For Emma, Forever Ago.

P&B Approved Cuts: Perth, Holocene, Towers

Is Beyonce A Baby-Mama?

UPDATE:  Previous reports have proven false, as B and Hov have now officially welcomed a baby girl named Blue Ivy Carter into the world on January 7, 2012.  Congratulations to both proud parents.  We'll have more on this story soon, so keep P&B on lock!

image via rapfix.mtv.com

I'm not trying to go all 'TMZ' with this, but obviously this is news to somebody.

This is only, like, the most important birth EVER.....(lol)

The Twitterverse is blowing up over the rumour, but we'll wait for Hov et ux to make an official announcement.

Click HERE to get the scoop from the Mirror UK

-Turnbull

Terrane Is Feeling Ni**as In Paris On The Subway

Have you ever wanted to bust out on the subway or bus and start jamming out to your favorite cut? We've all had the impulse, but usually don't let it take control. Terrane apparently can't control himself while listening to Ni**as In Paris from Watch The Throne, he proceeds to go in and kills it like a champ. Kanye posted the video on his twitter account, so you know that he's feeling it.

The YouTube video already has 1.6 million views and I highly recommend that you add to the total. Terrane definitely gets the people going!

-Paqman 

Happy Holidays From Paqman&Bull

(Photo via fairfaxbynight.com)

We want to take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays, no matter how you celebrate. Best wishes to you and yours, even if you have been naughty or nice. 

We will be going dark for the next few days, but have a few treats in store for you before 2011 wraps up. Please keep it locked as both Paqman and Turnbull will be offering you their top 10 albums of 2011. There might be a few surprises on our lists, but we posted some clues throughout the year if you have been faithfully reading since our launch in February. 

Thanks again for being among our readership. We are truly thankful for you taking the time to stop by and read our work.

- Paqman&Bull 

Friday Flashback - Holiday Hip Hop Edition

Kurtis Blow - "Christmas Rappin'"

Although many peeps consider Run DMC's "Christmas in Hollis" to be the first ever hip hop Christmas song, that distinction actually belongs to Kurtis Blow's "Christmas Rappin'." 

This performance of the track is taken from his 1980 appearance on the popular British music tv program Top of the Pops.  Christmas Rappin' is also the first ever rap song to be released on a major record label.

And you'll recognize the bassline as the sample used by the R&B group Next on their 1998 smash hit "Too Close."

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all.....a good night!"

-Turnbull

NBA Season to Launch on Christmas Day with 5-Game Sked

B-ball is back, but are Fans Ready to Forgive?

image via blog.betvega.com

The National Basketball Players Association and franchise owners have resolved their differences, ending the labour dispute that has resulted in an abbreviated regular season (66 games)

The season will kick off on Christmas Day with an unprecedented "quintuple header."

Action will start with the Boston Celtics visiting Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks, followed by the Miami Heat heading to the Lone Star State for a showdown against the defending NBA Champions, Dallas Mavericks.

Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls will then square off against Kobe Bean Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The 8pm contest pits the Orlando Magic against the "youngry" Oklahoma City Thunder.

The final game of the day has the Los Angeles Clippers, with newly acquired point guard Chris Paul, and reigning Rookie of the Year award-winner Blake Griffin traveling to the Bay Area to battle against Monta Ellis and the Golden State Warriors.

I'm finding myself rather indifferent about the start of the season.  My attitude might change as the season progresses, and I get used to seeing basketball again.  But these sports labour disputes leave a bad taste in my mouth, especially when games are lost (at least the NFL got there shit together without losing games - not even in the preseason).

The NBA has it's work cut out for itself as it tries to regain the trust of its fans, myself included.

I'll start with the Christmas Day sked, then roll from there.

Click the jump below to check out a video preview of the opening day's games:

Carney of Black Keys Says Blakroc 2 is a "No-Go"

image via thatessencerare.wordpress.com

In a recent interview, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys stated that despite the trailer that surfaced back in September, a second Blakroc album showcasing the band's collaborations with various hip hop stars, will not see the light of day.

Here's a excerpt from the interview, in which Carney speaks somewhat candidly about the project's status and the band's relationship with executive producer Damon Dash:

From Pitchfork:

We decided to scrap the whole record because it wasn't as fun or as interesting as the first one. It felt gimmicky. But [executive producer] Damon Dash just had a trailer made and put it out. He's an interesting guy. There are really good things about him, and some things that aren't so good-- like releasing a trailer for a record that's not going to come out, thinking it will pressure us to release it. I think the Damon of today is a lot different than the Damon of ten years ago. He really does have an ear for hip-hop, and it's unfortunate that he's not able to exercise that more.

So it looks like at present time, Blakroc 2 won't be coming out, which is unfortunate because not only did I enjoy the first installment, but the trailer for the second release  (which I've now learned was actually made, like, two years ago!) got me excited to hear a fresh new set of collabos.

The first Blakroc wasn't the best album ever created, but myself and a lot of my peeps really dug it.  It breathed new life into the concept of a rap/rock album, and was best appreciated via the "webisodes" that were released in conjunction with the record:  the behind the scenes perspective gave the viewer a better understanding of the collaborative spirit of the recording sessions.

But never say "never" folks ..... Perhaps Blakroc 2 will surface.

Someday.

-Turnbull

The Blogging Universe Works In Mysterious Ways

(Photo via nasa.gov)

For those of you that don't know me (but you will in time), I give credit where credit is due and always man up if I f'ed up. I always shoot from the hip, even though I'm no George Washington. I'm writing this post to reaffirm our mission here at Paqman&Bull: we write with integrity and bring you great original pieces through our opinions and thoughts. We also offer you the best of the Internet (according to us anyways) by posting links and vids with full credits.

Geoffrey Zakarian Is The Next Iron Chef

image via eater.com

NYC Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is the Season 4 winner of the Food Network's "The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs" series.

Zakarian defeated rival chef Elizabeth Falkner, executive pastry chef at Citizen Cake and executive chef and co-owner at Orson (both in San Francisco) in the epic final showdown.

Both chefs reached the final by outlasting eight other highly skilled competitors, including former Top Chef Masters series winner Marcus Samuelsson, and Montreal culinary kingpin Chuck Hughes.

The season-ending "winner takes all" battle featured a festive "Holiday Theme" that required the use various "secret" ingredients.

The judging panel for the finale included current Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto, and Michael Symon, along with respected food critic Simon Majumdar, and Iron Chef UK judge Judy Joo.

Congratulations to Chef Zakarian for winning this outstanding competition, and for his incredible display of culinary savvy and creativity throughout the entire season.

-Turnbull

"Canadiens" In French Means "Madness"

(Photo via thehockeynews.com)

I was going to post about the emergence of the Florida Panthers as a force in the Eastern Conference (and the league in general). Then I was thinking about how Jose Theodore has been blazing hot this season. Then I remembered how Theo killed it in 2001 for the Habs as he scooped up the Hart and Vezina trophy while rocking a 2.11 GAA and .919 save percentage. THEN the Habs coaching debacle reared its fleur-de-lis head. And I didn't want to write about it. But I will. I don't have to. But I want to. This is getting to a level of ridiculousness that can only shake down in La Belle Province.

RZA Visits Red Bull Academy, Discusses Kanye Work Ethic

On a recent visit to the Red Bull Academy in Madrid, the incomparable RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan discusses his experience working with Kanye West during the My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sessions:


-Turnbull

The Roots Release 9 Minute Video Inspired By Their Concept Album Undun

The Legendary Roots Crew released a mini movie on the strength of their latest album Undun. There's word that the Late Night house band are contemplating turning their hip hop concept album into a full on stage production (Note to Black Thought et al.: Don't go idlewild and try to make a feature film with your own dough...it could prove disastrous) and this is a great way of testing the waters.

The video is directed by Clifton Bell and features the fictional protagonist of the Undun story, Redford Stevens. It's a story of a kid that becomes a victim of his environment, which is not far from reality. Enjoy the vid and drop your thoughts in the comments.

-Paqman

Louis CK Takes D.I.Y. Comedy To The Next Level

(Photo via matthiasclamer.blogspot.com)

Rudely negative (but hilarious) comedian Louis CK is raking in some serious dough with his latest independent venture. He released a video of a gig in Manhattan at the Beacon Theater directly to his fans on his website.

Excerpts from Louis CK's statement released on December 13th:

HBO's 24/7 Is Back: Road to The NHL Winter Classic Featuring the Flyers and Rangers

(Photo via buzzonbroad.com)

For the second year in a row, the NHL and HBO are offering the very excellent 24/7, which chronicles the lead up to the Winter Classic in the City of Brotherly Love on New Year's Day. The Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers are the featured teams this season. There are some interesting storylines developing for each side with Giroux's concussion (I said it before, but this really sucks for my pool...and the Flyers too) and Avery's yearning for male modeling.

Here is the complete schedule for 24/7 - Flyers and Rangers:

Episode 1 - Dec. 17 -6:00PM ET / MT (replay)

Episode 2 - Dec. 21 -10:01PM ET / MT

Episode 3 - Dec. 28 -10:00PM ET / MT

Episode 4 - Jan. 5 -10:00PM ET / MT

If you have TMN/HBO On Demand, you won't have to be a slave to this schedule as they post the episodes fairly quickly.

I won't divulge anymore information about the first episode because you need to experience it for yourself. The NHL doesn't give its fans this level of access often, so please take advantage of this beautifully produced mini series...and John Tortorella is the shit. Scratch everything I said. Watch it to witness Torts unleashed behind the scenes. Watching him go off on Gaborik during a game was priceless.

If you're still not convinced, here's the sneak peak:

 

-Paqman

Introducing The 2011 NHL All-Concussion Team

There's always plenty of injuries during the course of an NHL season. It's a tough game that's played at blazing high speeds. If you're following hockey this year, the injury du jour is the concussion. With that said, here's your 2011 NHL All-Concussion Team:

Center

 87 - Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins

Frank Ocean Named One Of GQ's 2011 'Men Of The Year'

image via hypebeast.com

Gentlemen's Quarterly magazine has dropped its annual "Men Of The Year" list, which recognizes/acknowledges/verifies the "coolness" factor of select cats in the fields of music, sports, film, comedy, etc.

The honour of "Rookie Of The Year" went to the incomparable Mr. Frank Ocean, who caught everyone off-guard with the sheer genius of his debut mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA. It is, hands down, my favourite record of 2011, and I broke down the impact that Ocean has had on the music scene this year in a previous post.

P&B would like to offer our congrats to Frank for this most prestigious award (lol), as it's great when a publication, or organization (or whomever) gets it right when dishing out recognition for dope shit.

Other 2011 winners include Jay-Z, Steve Carell, Michael Fassbender, Novak Djokovic, Mila Kunis (I know she's not a guy, but her sheer hotness cannot go unrecognized!), and Derrick Rose.

For a full breakdown of this year's list, click HERE.

-Turnbull

Album Review: Chevelle Pull New Album Out Of Their Hats

(Photo via banana1015.com)

Chevelle
Hats Off To The Bull

Sony Music

Rating: 7.5/10

Chevelle, a three piece from Grayslake Illinois, have released "Hats Off To The Bull" in December of 2011. The last (and first) time I heard about these guys was when they released the very excellent "Wonder What's Next" in 2002 with their breakout single "The Red". I was Music Director for my college radio station around that time and dropped a few Chevelle cuts for all who could receive the powerful 10 watt transmission. So back then, I listened to tons of music, added new cuts weekly to keep the playlist fresh and eventually lost track of this band. Welcome back to the rotation Chevelle!

UFC 140 Looks Set to Deliver the Goods

If you don't watch this fight, Dana White will make you his Twitter bitch!

image via mainevent.com.au

By Jody White

UFC President and mouthpiece-in-chief Dana White once told me that Toronto occupies such a soft spot in his heart that he would only hold world-class cards here. Like any salesman worth his salt, no doubt such honeyed words are part of his repertoire, regardless of the area code he finds himself in. Still, he has so far upheld his promise, despite the UFC’s brief history with Hogtown. 

Last April’s UFC 129 in the Rogers Centre was the biggest event the organization had ever pulled off, and -- while light on marquee names -- was heavy on homegrown talent. GSP, Mark Bocek, Jason MacDonald, Sean Pierson and Mark Hominick -- to name a few -- gave the 55,000 fans lots to scream about and instilled Toronto’s legacy as a hotbed for MMA.

Friday Flashback - Things Come Together In Movement Edition

The Roots - "The Next Movement"

P&B present this classic jam from The Fifth Dynasty in honor of their freshly released (and rad) album Undun. This cut comes from the LP that arguably put The Roots on the map. For any of you that don't own Things Fall Apart, you need to a) run to the your favorite record store now and b) eventually forgive yourself for not getting on this amazing album sooner.

The song features scratching from the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff and the video shows that The Roots are immune to gravity. 

This track is best consumed at a high volume level. 

-Paqman

It's Not Broken...So Let's Fix It: NHL's Board of Governors Overhauls Conference Configuration, Eliminates Divisions

(Photo via thehockeynews.com)

What the fuck? What the mother fuckin' fuck, god damnit! (My apologies to all of our young readers) That was my reaction regarding the NHL's Board of Governors approving the new realignment for the 2012-13 season. Here's what it might look like:

Upstart Comedian Kenny Brooks Kills It in Hilarious Door-to-Door Sales Video

Keep the name Kenny Brooks on your radar as a up-and-comer to watch in the world of comedy.  He's creating quite the stir with this hilarious online video, which depicts Brooks as a door-to-door salesman.

Stick with all 7 minutes of this one....It's worth it!



-Turnbull

Album Review: The Black Keys' "El Camino" Drives the Path to Ongoing Success

image via undertheradarmag.com

The Black Keys

El Camino

Nonesuch Records/Warner Music

Rating: 8.5/10

For me and many others, the name El Camino is synonymous with the Chevrolet model of half car, half truck from back in the day.  While growing up, our neighbour's daughter, Wendy, used to drive a suped-up black one with a red racing stripe down the side.  The thing was a beast...... Our entire block would shake whenever she turned the engine over!

However the actual term, roughly translated from Spanish, means the road or path.

Fittingly, The Black Keys - singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney - have travelled an interesting path to arrive at this particular point of their now ten-year career.  And the picture of an old beat up van on their new album's cover is similar to the one the duo travelled in during their early touring days, so their newest release is symbolic of a "this is how far we've come to get here" type vibe.

The Ultimate Fighter Anti-Finale

Because watching them debate might be more exciting!

image via hov-mma.com

In a business where the ability to hype a fight is quickly becoming as important as striking and grappling, the two men set to face one another in Las Vegas Saturday night are without equal.

Good thing, because tonight's Bisping/Miller fight has all the hallmarks of a snoozer. 

The Ultimate Fighter season 14 finale between coaches Michael Bisping and Jason “Mayhem” Miller is an interesting fight mainly due to the fact that it’s between two of the biggest mouths in the UFC. Neither of these guys has knockout power, nor do they have outstanding stand-up technique.  What strengths they do possess -- including talking shit -- pretty much cancel each other out.

Friday Flashback - Punk Meets Funk Edition

The Clash - "This Is Radio Clash"

This song, which was released as a 12" single back in 1981, was not included on any of The Clash's studio albums.

It is heavily influenced by the New York City hip hop, funk, and dub sound that was starting to permeate the group's sound at the time.  IMHO, it's one of the band's most underrated cuts.

The track marks the early beginnings of the dance-punk sound that has influenced modern-day NYC acts such as The Rapture, !!!, and LCD Soundsystem.

This Is Radio Clash is a timeless classic that would still sound fresh if it were released today.

-Turnbull

After A Terrible Start, The Bruins Are Back In Championship Form

H-Orr-ton (Photo via bruins.nhl.com)

The Bruins ended a whirlwind of an off-season on a high. A summer of hanging out with the Stanley Cup (shirts optional) and celebrating is tough work. And wearing those heavy championship rings can make even a conditioned athlete tired. Boston were suffering from a serious case of cup hangover when the season kicked off. They limped to a 3-7 start in October and many were wondering what happened. Did the loss of Ryder, Kaberle and Reechi have that deep of an impact on this club?